>WORLD RECORD OR NOT A WORLD RECORD? >Not to take anything away from University of Arizona freshman Sean >Shields's fine winning shot put of 20.39/66-10.75 at the recent US >Junior Championships, I was just wondering why he is being credited >with setting an American Junior record and equalling the World >Junior record.
>Not even debating the legitimacy of comparing marks with a 6kg shot >against those made with a 16lb. shot, according to the All-Time U.S. >Junior List in the 2002 edition of the USATF/FAST Annual and the >2002 editon of the ATFS Annual the best mark by a junior with the >16lb. shot is 20.65/67-9 by Mike Carter in 1979. There is also the >indoor 21.05/69-0.75 by Terry Albritton in 1974. >To add to the confusion, although Carter's mark tops the all-time >junior lists in both the FAST and ATFS Annuals, it is listed in both >publications' record sections as not having been "officially >ratified" by either USATF or IAAF. Does anyone know the reason why >Carter's obviously vastly superior mark, which was made in an >international dual meet against the Soviet Union in Boston on July >4, 1979, has never been officially ratified? Outside of an >Olympics/World Championships, could you ask for a more legitimate >and "ratifieable" venue in which to set a world record. > >Seems like a major oversight and serious injustice to Mike. Also, >reflecting on the fact that Carter tossed the 12lb/5.45kg shot >81-3.5/24.77 (IMHO one of if not THE most remarkable performances in >t&f history at any level) that same year, one can only imagine how >far he might have throw the new 6kg implement . . .my guestimate >based on Shields's percentage improvement over his 16lb PB of >19.11/62-8.5 is that Carter would have easily have been capable of >22m+/72-3. Just a thought: Perhaps the National High School Federation should consider adopting the new international junior implements (6kg shot/1.75kg discus) so that marks made by U.S. preps would be more readily comparable to those of international juniors. Of course, I would still prefer that it first go back to running the mile and/or 1500m and 2-mile/3000m instead of the those God-awful bastard 1600m/3200m events. JON ALQUIST ATFS, FAST
